Testimonials
San Diego Jewish Academy
sdja.com
San Diego Jewish Academy is an independent school in San Diego serving students from early childhood through high school. Set on a 56-acre campus, the school blends academic rigor with social-emotional learning, creativity, and community engagement. Grounded in Jewish values, SDJA emphasizes individualized learning, strong relationships between students and educators, and a well-rounded experience that prepares students to grow into thoughtful, confident, and compassionate leaders.
“I highly recommend Matt Drown for any school navigating a transition to Blackbaud or looking to optimize their use of the platform.
During our due diligence process, another school connected us with Matt as a reference. He responded immediately and even joined early planning conversations ahead of a formal engagement to help ensure we were set up for success and negotiating effectively with the vendor. That level of initiative and partnership set the tone for everything that followed.
Throughout our transition, Matt has been exceptionally responsive, knowledgeable, and effective. He understands the Blackbaud ecosystem deeply and is able to translate that expertise across a wide range of users. Many members of our staff were initially intimidated by the system, but Matt’s patience, clarity, and teaching ability helped them build both competence and confidence quickly.
Beyond his technical expertise, Matt brings a strong strategic lens. He consistently asks the right questions, challenges assumptions in a constructive way, and offers thoughtful recommendations that improve systems, workflows, and outcomes.
Equally important, Matt is incredibly reliable. In a school environment where timing matters and small issues can quickly become urgent, his responsiveness—regardless of time or day—has been invaluable.
I have already referred Matt to several colleagues and institutions, all of whom have had similarly positive experiences. I would strongly recommend him and would be happy to speak further with anyone considering working with him.”
— Adam Borek, Director of Operations, Technology & Innovation, San Diego Jewish Academy
Vermont Academy: Saxton’s River, VT
Vermontacademy.org
Vermont Academy is a small New England college preparatory school where learning by doing, learning in nature, and learning in a supportive and safe environment successfully prepares students for a future of their own making. We are trailblazers of the future. We are leaning into educational innovation and defining ourselves clearly as a school of the future. The Vermont Academy Way is all about student-centeredness and offering students the opportunity to experience the joy of discovery.
“I have worked with Matt for over five years. Beyond being exceptionally knowledgeable, skilled and efficient regarding all-things-Blackbaud, he is also patient and kind. When I have felt as if things were in crisis, he is quick to respond, to resolve the issue, and provide peace of mind. He is such an asset to any school.”
—Mike Peller, Head of School
Hillbrook School: San Jose, CA
hillbrook.org
Hillbrook provides an extraordinary educational experience that fosters a love of learning in our students and helps them develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to achieve their highest individual potential in school and in life. At Hillbrook, students are known, respected, and valued as individuals, and every day is a journey of self-discovery, imaginative thinking, creative problem solving, laughter, and friendship.
“Working with Matthew has been a game-changer. He deeply understands the backend of Blackbaud and can take even the vaguest issue, clarify it better than I can articulate, and then fix it — usually within hours. He’s saved our team countless hours (and sometimes days) of troubleshooting. What stands out most is his ability to bridge technical expertise with clear communication; he doesn’t just solve the problem, he helps you understand it. Matthew is dependable, easy to work with, and an absolute expert. I’d recommend him to any school looking for a consultant who can make complex systems work the way they’re supposed to.”
— Bill Selak, Director of Technology, Hillbrook School
Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School: Chicago IL
mothermcauley.org
Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School is an independent Catholic all-girls high school in Chicago, rooted in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy. Serving approximately 830 students, the school emphasizes academic excellence, faith formation, and leadership development.
“We had the pleasure of working with Matt Drown during our Blackbaud implementation, first as our principal consultant through Blackbaud and later as an independent consultant. From the very beginning, he brought clarity and expertise to a complicated transition. He successfully resolved a number of issues inherited from our initial setup, including a significant configuration error that prevented our honors students from receiving the correct GPA weighting--something that would have had a real impact on student records without his help.
As we entered our second year on Blackbaud, we chose to continue partnering with him because of his deep knowledge, calm approach, and ability to untangle complex workflows quickly and effectively. He explains concepts in a way that is both clear and respectful, never talking down to our team and always making us feel supported
I would highly recommend Matt to any school beginning its Blackbaud journey or looking to make better use of tools they haven’t yet fully implemented. His expertise and professionalism have been invaluable to us.”
— Lauren Dowden, Director of Technology, Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School
Woodinville Montessori: Bothell, WA & Woodinville, WA
woodinvillemontessori.org
Woodinville Montessori School is an independent Montessori school in Washington serving a diverse community of students and families. Grounded in both Montessori philosophy and contemporary educational practices, the school focuses on the holistic development of each child—academically, socially, and emotionally—while fostering independence, creativity, and a strong sense of responsibility to others and the environment.
“Matt has been an incredible resource in helping our school get set up in Blackbaud’s Education Management Solutions. He is extremely knowledgeable and has been an incredible resource helping me to navigate all the nuance with Enrollment Management and Academics and he continues to help identify ways the system will work for our unique circumstances as a Montessori School. He’s an excellent communicator and very responsive to questions I have as they arise.”
— Jayme Knight, Registrar & Admissions Coordinator, Woodinville Montessori School
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